Edless Winter
by Kirkland22
Summary: It's winter in Peach Creek and the Eds and the kids spend their day in the sewers. Unfortunately, they don't find out until later that a blizzard swept through the land above them and that they are trapped in the sewers of Peach Creek. I do not own EEnE.
1. The Sewers

**Edless Winter**

_Chapter 1: The Sewers_

It was a cold and wet December day, and the snow had touched the ground of Peach Creek. Winter had arrived, and Christmas day was just around the corner. The winter snow had already begun to fall and was piling up several inches.

Eddy pried open the manhole on a road just south of Rathink Avenue. The Eds had spent the entire morning working on a scam down in this sewer called "Ed's Sewer Adventure." This scam was inspired by their first sewer scam called "Ed's Swamp Ride" which had failed to attract Jimmy and the girls of the cul-de-sac, but had never been tried on the boys. Eddy's mission was to attract Rolf, Kevin, and Jonny and gain their allowance money to purchase the new Christmas jawbreakers the Candy Store was selling. Eddy's mouth watered when he thought of these special one-time-only jawbreakers.

Eddy eagerly climbed down the sewer, followed by a cautious and doubtful Edd and a clumsy and sloppy Ed.

"Okay, boys." Eddy began, slowly turning his head and observing their sewer scam. "Looks ready, don'tcha' think?"

"I'm having second thoughts, Eddy." Edd responded.

"As usual." Eddy sarcastically muttered.

"Eddy, we've tried this once and it failed utterly. Plus, it's cold down here, and we best get in our homes before that blizzard sweeps through Peach Creek."

"What blizzard?" Eddy remarked. "We'll be fine down here. Ed brought lots of food, right lumpy?"

"You betcha', Eddy!" Ed shouted happily.

"Ed's finally being useful for once." Eddy spoke.

"But Eddy, the weather forecast says there could be a pretty serious blizzard. We need to return to our houses before it ensues."

"Get real, Double D. We'll only be down here until the evening and then we can go back up. Now, if you'll be useful as well, and let's go attract our customers."

The Eds exited the sewer via the manhole at the top. Once they arrived at the cul-de-sac, they could see the kids enjoying their Christmas break from school, fighting with snowballs and making snowmen outside. To Eddy, they seemed "ripe for plucking" to be customers for his sewer scam.

Eddy somehow managed to attract the attention of all of the kids, even Jimmy and the girls, to the sewer a few streets down. Eddy explained the scam along the way, while the kids listened.

The Eds were first to hop down into the sewer, while the kids stood cautiously above.

"That's right! Just 25 cents for a one-of-a-kind Peach Creek sewer adventure!" Eddy persuasively exclaimed, his voice echoing up to the manhole above him.

The kids one-by-one started climbing down into the sewer that ran under the streets of Peach Creek.

Kevin was skeptical, as usual. "Is this what you dorks have been up to? This is so lame."

"A skeptic, I see." Eddy called out. "But that's soon to change, once you give Ed's Sewer Adventure a try! Who's first?"

Jonny was quick to barge in. "Plank and I want to try! Where do we pay, Eddy?"

"Right here, Jonny-my-boy." Eddy calmly replied, handing out his money jar. Jonny dropped in two quarters and rushed over to the first phase of the scam, which was called "Ride the Edapuss Pt. 2."

"Let's boogie!" Jonny yelled, as he jumped on the Edapuss suit. During this time, Ed slipped into the suit and stuck his head out the hole.

"I'm an Edapuss, 'cause I'm Ed!" Ed shouted.

Eddy turned back to the other kids. "Who wants to ride with Jonny?"

Rolf spoke next. "Rolf would normally be turned off by this balderdash, but because the great season of Yeshmiyek is approaching, he will give it a try, less he wants to be placed in Yeshmiyek's boiling pot."

Eddy recalled Rolf's tradition of celebrating the legend of the woman who lives in the center of the Earth and gives meat for all the good children to eat. However, the only part of Rolf's speech that he truly paid attention to was the "he will give it a try" part.

"Okay, Rolf." Eddy began. "That'll be 25 cents."

Rolf dumped a quarter into the jar and launched himself into the air and landed on Edapuss.

Seeing Rolf and Jonny excited, Nazz and Kevin gave in and decided to ride along. Sarah and Jimmy, however, were not interested at all with the scam, and recoiled at the sight of the swampy waste lurking through the sewer. Sarah pulled Jimmy back up to the manhole, gave Eddy some negative words, and then ran back to the cul-de-sac through the snow-filled roads.

Back in the sewer, Eddy gave Ed the signal to begin the swamp ride. "Okay, fellow adventurers." Eddy began. "Get ready for the Edapuss swamp ride!"

Eddy and Edd stood back, as Ed started to move and thrust himself forward into the sewer. The kids secured themselves on the back of the Edapuss suit, as Ed drove forward.

Eddy shook his jar of quarters. "Now this is what I call real money, Double D!"

"I'm surprised that Kevin, of all the kids, would partake in this flim-flam." Edd responded. "And whoever knew Nazz wouldn't turn down direct exposure to the filthiest underground areas of urban living."

"Translation, please, Einstein." Eddy replied, frustrated.

"Kevin participating in your scams, Nazz being in filthy sewers." Edd made clear. "Doesn't seem like something that used to happen."

"Get over it, Sockhead." Eddy retorted. "Let's wait until they come back and put them through the next ride!"

And so, the day went on. Edd and Eddy realized that they had been waiting at the entrance of the sewer for more than half an hour. Fortunately for them, the sewers were warmer and more humid than the cold and dry climate up on the ground floor of the Earth. They could vaguely hear the sounds of snow glistening above them and the slow currents of the sewage plow through the wide tunnels of this underground area.

When it seemed to Eddy like a lifetime had passed by, the Edapuss group finally returned to the entrance of the sewer. It looked as though everyone had a good time riding Edapuss, but it was evident that they were ready for another ride.

"So, who's ready for the next round of "Ed's Sea Adventure?!" Eddy exclaimed.

The kids hopped off of Edapuss and stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Plank says he's ready for round two, Eddy!" Jonny hollered, his screeching and annoying voice echoed through the sewer.

"Then round two it is!" Eddy answered him.

Eddy led the kids to the second part of their scam, which was called "The Sewer Sidewalk Stroll." Edd was the guide of this wastewater tunnel tour, and he had dressed himself into a guide's outfit.

There were three events in total in this scam, and the Eds provided it all for only one quarter per person. The kids actually enjoyed themselves, even the once-skeptic Kevin and the once-unsure Nazz. Jonny even requested another round on the Edapuss, which added more quarters to Eddy's money jar. Everyone was having a jolly-good time in the sewers of Peach Creek, and were completely oblivious to what was occurring above them on the surface.


	2. Life in the Sewers

_Chapter 2: Life in the Sewers_

The sewers were alive with enjoyment, and Eddy realized this was his first scam that was actually a full-blown success that went far beyond his expectations. They had spent hours down there, and were enjoying the same rides and tours over and over, until all the kids ran out of quarters to pay the Eds.

Everyone realized it was getting late, and that they ought to be returning to their homes to eat dinner. Ed, still dressed up as Edapuss, docked himself at the sidewalk and released the now exhausted kids, who were reminiscing on their fun time down in the sewer.

Even Kevin was in a good mood, which had Edd and Eddy completely stunned. Since when did Kevin enjoy one of their scams and actually cough up quarters without regret to pay for it? It was a miracle, and Eddy figured this was his real Christmas present. Unfortunately for him, he was about to find out that this Christmas present would soon wear off.

"Did everyone have a good time?" Eddy asked.

"Yeah, Eddy!" Jonny screamed. "Plank and I had the time of our lives!"

"Rolf enjoyed himself in your first successful money-making scheme, Ed Boy." Rolf claimed.

"That was really something, Eddy." Nazz commented. "I wouldn't think that a sewer ride would be so fun!"

Eddy started to sweat nervously as his vision of beauty, Nazz, revealed that she enjoyed his sewer rides. "G-gee, thanks, Nazz." Eddy stuttered, at a loss of words.

"That was quite a ride, actually." Kevin admitted, his ego no longer getting in the way of actually congratulating Eddy when something of his succeeded.

"Thanks, Kevo!" Eddy responded to the compliment. "And the rides are only 25 cents if you come back to Ed's Sewer Adventure!"

Eddy climbed up the ladder to the manhole, and placed his hands on the sewer exit. "Okay, everyone. Thanks for coming. Let's go home now."

Eddy pushed on the icy cold manhole cover, and realized that it didn't even budge. He tried again a little harder and more forceful, but even that didn't make it move. "Sheesh." He grunted. "Stubborn manhole, or somethin'?" He tried a third time, but failed once again.

"Ed, can you give me a hand?" He finally asked.

"Right behind you, Eddy!" Ed yelled, crawling up the ladder. He picked up Eddy and set him on the sewer sidewalk with the other kids. "Here it goes!"

Ed pressed as hard as he could, which happened to be more than two times more than Eddy, and the manhole made moved about an inch, but instantly shut back down. Ed tried once again, and it moved a little more than an inch, but came down again.

"Strange." Edd spoke, bewildered that the manhole was so hard to open. "We had no trouble at all opening that cover when we first came down here. Why, something must be blocking it."

"I don't know." Eddy talked, panting for breath. "But for one thing it sure is a lot colder!"

Ed jumped off the ladder and flung himself back onto the sidewalk. "I'm going to give it a big push now, Eddy!"

"Way to go, Monobrow." Eddy said, watching Ed's attempt.

Ed lunged up into the air and slammed his head up on the manhole cover. To everyone's surprise, it shot right open, but then closed back down again. During the second the manhole was open, a gust of freezing cold air blew down into the sewers, and it became utterly apparent that the temperature up on the ground level was far below freezing.

The kids realized that their coats and jackets were not warm enough for the present temperature, so they began to shiver. Also, when the manhole was open, a chuck of ice dropped into the sewer, so everyone assumed that a thick layer of ice covering the manhole was to blame for Ed and Eddy's difficulties of opening the cover.

"That blizzard must have blown into town a tad early, Eddy." Edd explained. "There could be several feet of snow and ice stacked up on top of the manhole."

The other kids looked up at the manhole in disappointment.

"So, will we be able to get outta' here?" Nazz questioned.

"I hope so, Nazz." Edd replied. "We need to return to our residences soon before the blizzard exacerbates."

"Well, it doesn't look like we're getting anywhere, Double D." Eddy muttered. "If Ed here can't lift the cover off with his mighty push, there ain't' no getting out of here."

"Are you saying we're trapped down here?" Kevin asked, starting to lose his patience.

"Plank says we need to shove harder!" Jonny interrupted.

"Rolf will assist the effort to dislodge the hole-covering disc of metal from its perch." Rolf offered.

"We're gonna need all the help we can get!" Kevin yelled, taking leadership of the situation. "Come on, let's blast this manhole open!"

Eddy wasn't appreciative of Kevin taking leadership of the situation. Eddy wanted to be the main hero that solved everyone's problems so he would be treated with even more respect. Unfortunately, it seemed the image Kevin portrayed for the other kids, was the leader and the highest-authority of everyone there.

Responding to Kevin's orders, everyone prepared to lunge up at the manhole and force it open. Eddy was at the top, and he realized how cold the manhole was when he placed his hand on it. It was literally becoming glazed in ice.

"Ready?!" Kevin screamed. "Let's roll!"

One by one, the kids smashed into the manhole and fell back down to the sewer sidewalk. This sudden, abrupt, and brutal force lifted the manhole cover about a foot, but it came back down. Fortunately, however, it shifted to the right a little, which revealed a two-inch opening from the sewer to the outside. Ed stuck his hand through this gap and tried as hard as he could to force the manhole cover to the side.

With constant force from Ed for the next half-minute, the manhole slid to the side, and packed itself into the deep ice that was covering the ground. The Eds and the kids looked up at the opening. The sky was not visible. All they saw was a several-foot layer of ice and snow trapping them from the outside world.

"We can't get to the opposite side of that thick deposit of ice, Eddy." Edd remarked, glaring at the ice that was above them.

"But-but-" Eddy stuttered. Finally, the bitter taste of defeat crowded his soul, and he leaned his head over. He began to shiver, as the coldness of the outside crept into him. "We won't be going anywhere for a while, I guess."

Kevin started speaking. "Dang it! Now we're trapped in here until that snow and ice melts away! We can't survive down here!"

"Oh, but we might be able to." Edd said, recalling all the food that Ed had brought down with them. "Ed, where'd you stash that food pack?"

"Right here, Double D!" Ed answered, pointing his finger at the sack of food several yards down the sidewalk.

"There may be enough food in there to last us the next few days." Edd suggested. "But there is an essential we're lacking. Clean water!"

"Where do we get clean water?" Eddy asked.

"There could be some inside the food pack that Ed brought down here."

"You bet your sweet bippy there is." Ed remarked, obviously not afraid or doubtful of their survival.

Rolf took out a pocketknife from his pocket. "Rolf will begin making a hole in the hardened ice, Ed Boys."

"Plank says we're going to miss Christmas morning." Jonny exclaimed.

"I'm afraid so, Jonny." Edd responded. "We'll have to wait until the snow and ice melts before we can do anything."

Things looked grim for the Eds and the kids. This was about the only time they actually got along with each other without arguing over the little things. Everyone made a small dinner from the food that Ed had brought down.

They also knew that the sewer was not a sanitary place, and overexposure to the filth and waste inside it might lead to diseases. The struggle for survival had ensued, and their efforts to try to make it out of the sewer increased.

It was soon nighttime, and the kids did not have a clean place to sleep. The sidewalks were no less filthy than the sewage running through the tunnels, so there really was no clean area for the night. Unfortunately, it was the only place to sleep, so the kids had no choice. It was an uncomfortable night, but only the start of everyone's troubles.


	3. The Escape Attempts

_Chapter 3: The Escape Attempts_

Edd opened his eyes. He scanned the filthy grounds of the sewer sidewalk, and his friends who were also awaking to the morning. The morning sunlight was not completely visible down in the sewer, but the translucent ice did allow limited amounts of light to pass through into the sewer. The odor of the filth and waste down in this sewer was enough to make Edd recoil in disgust and further pray that they would be able to get back up to the ground level.

The chilling winter gusts outside were blowing hard; so hard that it could be vaguely heard through the thick layer of ice that separated the sewer from the light of day. A rush of bitter cold air seeped into the sewer, which made the kids shiver as they awoke.

It seemed to Edd that Rolf had been awake for quite some time now, because he had been diligently chiseling away at the ice with his pocketknife. Edd arose and approached Rolf.

"Good morning, Rolf." Edd began.

Rolf turned around and talked to Edd. "Good morning, head-and-sock Ed Boy. Rolf is trying to break away the ice that is cemented on top of the land above us. However, his teensy-weensy pocketknife is unable to dig open large chunks of the frozen water. But Rolf does his best."

"Thank you for helping us, Rolf." Edd commented.

"A problem it is not, Ed Boy." Rolf responded. "For Rolf too wishes to reach the surface above us before his relatives come over for the Yeshmiyek dinner."

"I hope we can make our way out of this ordeal, Rolf." Edd said, as he walked back over to the other kids and greeted them.

"Good morning, Eddy." Edd started as Eddy stood up.

Eddy just grumbled in response, and yawned and stretched. "So, will we be getting out of here today?"

"I'm hopeful that we can, Eddy." Edd replied. "Rolf seems to be making progress over there." Edd pointed to Rolf, who was busy chiseling away at the ice above the manhole.

"Good." Eddy moaned, still not in a positive mood.

Kevin and Nazz were the last to awake. Nazz was horrified by the disgusting filth lurking about in the sewer, and she cringed at the sight and smell of it. Kevin was very disappointed at the situation, but he remained in the image of a strong leader who was going to help the others make it out of the sewer.

Jonny and Ed were the least bothered by the situation out of the seven kids. They may have been a tad upset that they were not at their homes, but they were certainly not affected by this as much as the others were.

Breakfast this morning was small, and was made from food in Ed's food pack. Since there were seven mouths to feed, however, the food supply was noticeably shrinking, and it seemed that it would only last them another day or two. Because of this, they realized that they would have to cut way back on their consumption of food to savor it throughout their time down in the sewers.

By lunchtime, some of the kids were coughing because of the unhealthy standards of this area. Constantly breathing the foul odor from the filth that was strewn all over the sewers wasn't healthy and lead to sickness.

Water had also become an issue. The amount of water in Ed's food pack was very low, and it had been used up by the afternoon of this day. If the kids were to stay another few days down here, they wouldn't have any clean water at all.

Fortunately, though, by the afternoon, Rolf had chiseled a two-foot deep hole up into the ice. This wasn't even half way through the entire layer of ice, but it refreshed the kids, knowing that some progress had been made.

"Rolf has made progress on his ice digging, children of the cul-de-sac." Rolf remarked. "Soon, Rolf will dig his way to the surface."

"Good work, Rolfy-Boy." Kevin spoke.

Right as Rolf started to get back to work, he could faintly hear voices coming from the surface. "Hallo?" Rolf uttered, trying to figure out who was speaking and where he/she was.

On the other side of the ice, Sarah and Jimmy were calling out, asking where the kids were and if they needed assistance. They were searching the entire vicinity, with several layers of coats and jackets, trying to find the other kids of the cul-de-sac.

In the sewer, the kids clustered around the ladder as Rolf tried calling back out to Sarah and Jimmy. Sadly, Sarah and Jimmy did not hear them, and ended up walking off in the other direction. The kids eventually realized that they had left the area, and disappointedly walked back to their positions on the sewer sidewalk.

"Man, so we were so close at getting help, and they left us." Kevin yelled, frustrated.

The disappointment resumed for the rest of the day, as the kids just sat on the sidewalk, bored, helpless, and choking and coughing with every breath of the filthy sewer stench. It didn't seem like it could get any worse than it was now.

By nighttime, Rolf had dug even deeper into the ice. He was shivering almost the whole way through, though, because of the freezing temperatures and his lack of adequate clothing. Of course, everyone, not just Rolf, was shivering.

This night was a really rough night for the kids. They were waking up in the middle of the night coughing and sneezing, showing blatant signs of sickness brought on by the freezing temperatures and the exposure to the sewer filth. The temperatures dropped even more, and Rolf's hole in the ice was being filled again by the frozen precipitation roaring outside.

Though all seemed very grim and hopeless for the Eds and the kids, they still had hopes of getting back up to the ground level.


	4. The Situation Exacerbates

_Chapter 4: The Situation Exacerbates_

The kids did not get a full-night sleep. They woke up to cough and sneeze and recoil at the filth and cold temperatures in the sewer. They had to sleep on the filth-ridden sidewalks of the sewer just like the previous night, which was probably the most uncomfortable and unsanitary place they had slept in their entire lives.

With the kids falling ill, the need to escape the sewer and enter a clean and warm shelter became much more important as time went by. Fortunately, Rolf, who was working the hardest out of them all, was not falling ill, despite his constant exposure to the ice layer blocking the sewer from the freezing winter day on the ground level.

And now, the Eds had more to worry about than their own health, the kids' health, and having to try to find out how to get out of the sewer, because now Kevin was getting angry with the Eds for bringing them down to the sewer in the first place.

"You dorks!" He growled, his nose stuffed up and his voice shot by the cold. "If you hadn't led us down to this disgusting sewer before the darn blizzard, we'd be warming ourselves by the fire in our homes!"

"Don't look at me, Kevo." Eddy defended himself. "You followed along."

Angry Kevin yanked Eddy's money jar away from him and dumped the quarters out on the sidewalk. "To think I fell for your stupid scam this time. I sure have reached an all time low in history."

"You reached that long ago, Jock-Boy." Eddy retorted. Edd grimaced at him and motioned for him to separate himself from Kevin.

"If you two can't get along, then separate yourselves." Edd spoke. "The troubles we already face should not be exacerbated by little quarrels meant to direct the blame for this ordeal on another person! Solutions are created when teamwork is applied, not when we fight and attempt to blame others!"

"Don't have a bird, Double D." Eddy remarked, obviously irritated by Edd's rant.

Their fights ended after this. Everyone became too ill and cold to argue any more.

Later this day, Rolf alerted the others that he was within a foot away from reaching the ground level above the thick layer of ice and snow. Some of the kids walked over to assist Rolf after this announcement, but Rolf declined their offer. The kids instead watched Rolf's nonstop chiseling of the hardened ice.

"Hello?" Rolf muttered several minutes later. He stuck his hand up the hole in the ice. "The outside air is colder than Rolf's Nana's seven-course buckshot delight. Could it be?"

The kids stepped up to the sewer ladder and looked above. Rolf ascended into the layer of ice and stuck his head out the top of the hole. He was on the ground level.

"Rolf has reached the crest of this ice pile." Rolf called to the kids below him.

"Way to go, Rolfy-Boy!" Kevin yelled, his voice weakened by the bitter cold.

Rolf tried to force himself out of the small opening that reached the ground layer, but he realized it was too small. With a few extra minutes of chiseling in the cold, he managed to make the opening big enough for him to crawl out of and rest on the top of the huge ice layer.

Rolf instantly began shivering, because the pungent winter winds were so strong and cold. Snow was falling all around, and ice was forming on every inch of ground. The temperature was far below freezing, and the wind-chill made it feel so much colder than it really was.

Rolf turned down to the kids below him in the sewer. "Rolf recommends you remain down in the sewer, children of the cul-de-sac. For the coldness here is much too unbearable and unwelcoming."

The kids followed Rolf's orders and stayed where they were.

"Now, Rolf must venture into the cul-de-sac and gather up food and extra apparel for the sickly kids. Rolf shall return tonight!"

The kids shared their goodbyes with Rolf, who waved back at them. It seemed to Kevin and Eddy that neither of them would be the hero who saves all the kids, instead it would be Rolf.

Rolf trekked on into the frozen tundra with pride, shivering but still able to function as well as any other day. This was his chance to save the kids and finally be able to be proud of something, which is what his forefathers expected of him.


	5. Rolf's Perspective

_Chapter 5: Rolf's Perspective_

The sky was littered with clouds, which almost completely covered the sun from the land. The winds were howling and rapidly blowing across the land, while the snow just kept falling and falling and stacking up on top of the iced-over ground. The temperatures plummeted below freezing. Every aspect of the winter made the calm little town of Peach Creek an icy and barren wasteland.

Rolf tried to fight back the cold temperatures, but fell victim to their sheer force. Rolf began shivering and trying protect himself from the biting cold climate. It seemed to him that the winter would never go away.

He trailed northward away from the sewer and toward the cul-de-sac. The ice he was standing on was at least five feet above the ground surface. Each footstep sank into the ice a few inches and kicked up the snow covering the ice. Rolf felt his feet turning into frost as his footsteps went deeper into the ice and the snow seeped into his shoes.

When he arrived at the cul-de-sac, he could see the abandoned houses that were once occupied by the cul-de-sac kids, who were now trapped in the sewers. Two of the houses, however, were still lit up, and Rolf realized that these were the houses of Sarah and Jimmy, who had not been trapped in the sewer.

Rolf advanced into the cul-de-sac. The front door to his house was iced-over, therefore almost blocked from entry. However, Rolf had his pocketknife on his person, so he grabbed it and started chiseling away on the ice. Rolf soon had chiseled enough of the ice away to allow him to pass through and open the door.

Rolf's relatives would have been arriving in the next few days if the blizzard had not been so bad. Now, it was likely that their mode of transportation to get to the cul-de-sac was delayed. Rolf's immediate family was also not present at the house.

Rolf's first mission was to gather up some warm clothing for the kids in the sewer. He took out a wagon from one of the closets in his house, which he used to store up the items he would be taking to the sewer. Rolf took out blankets, sheets, towels, clothes, and any other objects that would be useful to keep the kids warm. Rolf also found a small portable heater that he didn't hesitate to place in the wagon.

Food and water were the next priorities. He recalled that Ed's food pack back in the sewer had just about completely run out of food by the time Rolf left, so he would need to bring as much food as he could get. Their water supply ran out the night before, so that was even more critical to get. Rolf loaded his wagon up to the top with all kinds of food, beverages, and clothing.

Because Rolf knew that the kids were falling ill in the sewer, he also loaded some of his old-world remedies and medicines in the wagon to give to the kids.

It was now the mid-afternoon and another blizzard had begun to sweep through Peach Creek. Rolf temporarily stopped loading the wagon and looked out the window at the snow and ice being tossed around by the blizzard. He realized that his return trip to the sewer might be a little more difficult than he had hoped.

In the late afternoon, Rolf had finished loading his wagon. The food, water, and clothing in the wagon was almost billowing over the top, so Rolf knew he had packed as many supplies as he could. Unfortunately, the blizzard outside had blocked him from leaving the house and returning to the sewer, so it was becoming obvious to him that he might not be able to return this night like he had originally told the kids.

After eating dinner, Rolf tried to exit the house to see how much snow and ice was distributed around the cul-de-sac by the blizzard. Just opening the door was challenging enough, because the ice had almost completely blocked the path. When Rolf was able to open the door, the snow and ice from the roof of the house thumped down upon him after failing to withhold the vibrations caused by the opening door.

Rolf was soaked in bitterly cold snow and ice, which made him shiver even more. The wind was very strong as well, which kicked up much of the fallen snow and slopped it all over the area. Rolf could easily tell that he would definitely not be able to arrive at the sewer this night, or even by the next morning. With this, he reentered his house, trying to dry himself off and get warm.

Rolf unfortunately had no way of contacting the kids in the sewer. He expected them to understand that he would be trapped in the blizzard for a long while and unable to return. This was not good for the kids, because the vital supplies that Rolf was bringing them wouldn't come anytime soon.

It was difficult for Rolf to sleep this night. Though he was in the comfort of his own room and his own bed, he still had that urge to get outside with the food, water, and clothing and return to the sewer to help the kids. He knew that this night would be a struggle for them, so he felt guilty that he wasn't going to return as soon as they had expected.

The moon turned its light on full-blast as it rose into the sky as the cul-de-sac was barely holding on through the blizzard. Darkness overcame the frozen land, as the ice and snow kept pounding in from the sky.


	6. The Effects of the Second Blizzard

_Chapter 6: The Effects of the Second Blizzard_

Edd's heart raced as he awoke and glanced at Ed's empty food pack, which once contained a great deal of food and water. Now, after just a few days, it was completely empty, consumed by the kids who were stuck in the sewer through a harsh winter blizzard. Rolf had not returned with the food, water, and warm clothing, and now the kids were left with the real struggle of survival, which was trying to live through possibly a long period of time without the essentials that they were used to receiving in their everyday life. Things looked bleak for the kids.

This morning, Rolf placed his hand on the window of his room, which had been frozen over by a layer of ice from the cold winter blizzard. He instantly yanked his hand away, because of the extremely cold temperature. He looked out the window instead and saw the snow and ice pelting the surface of the earth, telling Rolf that he would not be able to get to the sewer any time soon to drop off the essentials for the kids.

Breakfast at Rolf's house was bread and butter, while there was no breakfast in the sewers. The kids had no food to eat, no water to drink, and no adequate clothing to protect them from the harsh temperatures that were present. The stench of sewer filth was high and the winter temperature was low, combining to make a miserable stay for the kids down in the sewer.

They were in an even worse state by lunchtime. The kids were vomiting, shivering, and growing increasingly weak as the time went on. By the afternoon, they could barely move a muscle, as their health condition was dropping to depths they had never been. The temperature continued to increase gradually, making the area colder and colder as time went on. It seemed to the kids that it couldn't get any worse than it was now.

Rolf was aware that the kids would be in a bad state of health, so the need to get to the sewer was greater now. Rolf decided that he had to fight the blizzard and make it to the kids. He quivered at the sight of the winter wasteland out the window. Trekking through the snow and ice would not be easy, but it had to be done.

Opening the front door of Rolf's house was difficult enough, as it had frozen over since he had opened it last. Shoving it open through the layer of snow and ice was even harder; it took great force to pry it open. Rolf squeezed himself and the wagon full of essentials out the opening and dove into the layer of snow.

Instead of walking, Rolf was swimming through the layer of snow, and crawling away at the places where the ice had hardened over the ground. The wind was blowing very hard, making it difficult for Rolf to hold on to the lightweight supplies in his wagon. For all he knew, they could be spilling out into the snow. He did the best he could to cover the wagon and keep it on both of its wheels, but full control was not possible.

The wind was fortunately not blowing in from the front of Rolf, but it was still causing him quite a bit of trouble coming from the side. It did not die down at all when he advanced out of the cul-de-sac and onto the cross street. In fact, it blew even harder, and he could now feel the force of the wind very hard, pushing at his side, trying to force him to the ground.

Meanwhile, in the sewers, the kids continued to lay on the sidewalk, sick and weak. Edd felt a wave of sewer filth splash up upon the sidewalk, further contaminating the area. They were all throwing up, coughing, sneezing, retching, and the feeling of misery and coldness gripped at them. Their condition was getting more serious as time went on and Edd understood that if the essentials didn't arrive by this night, their health would drop so low it would be enough to make a trip to the hospital necessary.

Above the frozen ground, Rolf was starting to grow weak and cold from the exposure to the ice and snow littered upon the earth. This slowed him down and eventually stopped him once he arrived at the street the sewers were beneath. Gasping for breath, he struggled to crawl his way through the snow and ice and the wind that was pelting him hard. Towing the wagon was not easy in this part, but he held his grip as best he could.

It was late afternoon, but the kids didn't know that Rolf was right above them on the street. They figured that the blizzard had completely blocked his access back to the sewer. Their grim outlook on their future was soon changed once they heard a noise above them. They knew it had to be Rolf.

"Hallo, children of the cul-de-sac!" Rolf yelled, directing his voice to the sewer manhole. "Rolf has returned with the doohickeys."

The kids heard Rolf's voice vaguely, but acknowledged his arrival. Rolf realized that he had another seven-foot layer of ice and snow to chisel through before he could actually enter the sewers. So, he grabbed his pocketknife with his weakened hand and began trying to quickly dig through the thick layer of ice.

The last time Rolf had to chisel through this layer of ice, it took him almost two days, but this layer was fortunately not quite as thick, and contained softer and slushier ice rather than really hard, rock-solid ice. Still, he understood that it would take him at least until nightfall to be able to squeeze down into the sewers.

The kids waited desperately this evening as Rolf did the best he possibly could to chisel his way into the ice.


	7. The Rescue

_Chapter 7: The Rescue_

The sun was setting, though it couldn't be seen through the thick formation of clouds in the sky. The moon was rising, the air was thin, and the snow and ice never ceased to pelt down on the earth. Darkness would soon arrive as the day shifted into night.

Rolf had dug deep into the ice layer by this evening and was just above the opening to the sewer. Inside the sewer, the kids were desperately in need of what Rolf was about to give them. They had not eaten anything this entire day, and they were shivering and jittering constantly.

Eventually, Rolf realized that he could punch his numb hand through a small one-inch layer of ice that was left blocking him. He vigorously began pounding away at this ice instead of chiseling and finally blasted open a hole large enough to fit himself and his wagon full of essentials. The kids' rescue had come.

"You kids look sicker than Wilfred in pig-flu season." Rolf muttered, seeing the kids who could barely move. "Rolf has brought the food, water, and apparel that you requested."

"Th-thanks, Rolf." Kevin murmured, his voice low, cracked, and gloomy.

Rolf yanked the wagon down the sewer stairs and stationed it on the sewer sidewalk. He dumped out the contents, realizing that he had lost some of it out in the blizzard, but not enough to make a huge difference.

The kids were relieved to see food, water, and warm clothing, after enduring an entire day without this. They grabbed every piece of clothing and bundled themselves in it, seeking warmth from the cold temperatures. At this time, Rolf turned on his battery-run portable heater for the kids, which soon warmed the area significantly.

Rolf also stacked up the food that he had brought, which the kids dug into quickly and began to eat. Pretty soon, the kids had eaten at least three fourths of the food Rolf had brought and drank almost all of the water. Finally, the kids were starting to feel better.

However, they realized that they were not in the clear just yet. The blizzard was still raging outside and showed no signs of stopping. The wind was howling and blowing all the snow and ice around. The clouds blocked the sun and the cold air made it a very uncomfortable place.

The kids had refreshed themselves enough, and they were ready to go to sleep. They still had to endure the filth of the sewer, but at least they were a little warmer, they had proper clothing, and they had consumed the needed amount of food and water. Rolf found some clothing and food for himself, and settled down by the sewer ladder to go to sleep.

The blizzard continued to sweep across the bitterly cold land above, and the moon tucked itself in between two clouds. It was night time on this winter day in the cul-de-sac.


	8. Escape From the Sewers

Chapter 8: Escape From the Sewers

A breeze of cool air awoke Rolf, and he gradually lifted his eyelids open. It was morning in the sewers of Peach Creek, and the ground above him was still being hammered hard with snow and ice from the blizzard. Today was Christmas Eve, and the kids were determined to make their way back to their homes in the cul-de-sac before Christmas Morning.

Within half an hour, everyone was awake. The night had been much more comfortable for the kids compared to the previous nights when they did not have the proper clothing and blankets to stay warm. The portable heater was on all night, so the warm breeze from the heater countered the freezing temperatures. The kids were no longer malnourished, as they had eaten a sufficient amount of food to survive.

However, breakfast was barely able to be provided, as the food Rolf had brought almost ran out after they finished eating breakfast. There was enough for a small lunch, and then their supply would run out completely. This increased their determination and need to get back up to the ground level and to their homes.

The kids wondered if it was safe enough for them to try to venture out into the snow and ice to get to their homes. Rolf claimed that the kids were not healthy enough to trek out into the blizzard. "Every footstep is like a dive in Nano's frozen pear juice bucket," Rolf had said.

"But Rolf, we need to get home in time for Christmas!" Nazz burst out. "My parents are like totally freaking out right now, you know."

"I would agree, dearest Nazz." Edd stated. "If we remain down in this lair of filth and nose-turning disgust, we will have denied ourselves an opportunity to arrive at our residences and be with family again. Every hard task can be overcome with strength and determination."

"Rolf admires your enthusiasm, Double-D Ed Boy." Rolf replied. "But maybe your mind will change once you step foot above us, yes? No?"

"Forget it!" Eddy grumbled. "We're going back up to the cul-de-sac now, get moving."

"Slide over, dork." Kevin yelled, irate and annoyed. "You put us through this mess in the first place, and I'm going to get us out of it. GOT IT?"

Eddy just stood there and moaned.

"If any of you have a problem with that, then we can gladly leave you here and suffer what this dork put us through in the first place." Kevin's rant stunned the other kids, who were not ready to argue, they wanted to work as a team.

"Plank says you guys are failing to accomplish what even a board of wood could do!" Jonny commented, raising his chin.

"Enough already!" Edd yelled. "Work as a team and come up with solutions, understand?"

"I don't see you doing anything, dork." Kevin mumbled. "Quit jabbering and actually do something other than talk nonsense."

"I am most certainly appalled by your statement, Kevin." Edd defended himself. "You can't go into a solution without coming up with a plan first!"

"Double D's right, Kev." Nazz spoke, stepping up to Edd and resting her hand on his shoulder. "Give it a break, he's doing his best, Kevin."

Kevin looked on and frowned. "Fine. So where do we start?"

"Hold it!" Eddy interrupted. "Don't I get to say something too?"

"Yes you do, Eddy." Edd responded. "We all will get to say something, now let's start discussing."

The majority of the kids wanted to try to venture outside into the blizzard and make their way to the cul-de-sac. The only kids who were hesitant to go were Rolf and Jonny. Rolf did not think that the kids were well enough yet to go out into the blizzard and Jonny figured that they could last another day down in the sewer. After a long discussion with the others, both Rolf and Jonny finally agreed that it was best to venture out into the blizzard and try to get back to their homes before Christmas Day.

"Let's roll!" Kevin shouted, retaking leadership of the group. He led the kids up the stairs of the sewer and they one-by-one began knocking their way at the ice that was covering the manhole. It was a painful process, so Rolf eventually stepped in with a small shovel he had brought along and started hammering away at the ice.

Before lunchtime, Rolf finished cracking away through the ice and snow, and there was enough space for all the kids to crawl out. A gust of cold air swept up to them, and it felt even colder to the kids after they had gotten used to the warmth of the portable heater Rolf had turned on in the sewer. Fortunately, they still were wearing their heavy clothes that Rolf had brought them, which kept them warm enough to proceed.

After all the kids had emerged from the sewer and on top of the layer of snow and ice, Rolf went back down into the sewer to fetch his wagon. He knew that they would need these essentials as they trekked on down to the cul-de-sac in the blizzard. He made sure to replace the portable heater's batteries with new ones, so it would not run out of battery power on their journey. He turned it back on and it blasted warm air back to the shivering kids.

"To the cul-de-sac, or bust." Ed muttered happily.

"Let's get this gravy train rolling." Eddy started.

"Gravy?" Ed asked.

The kids could barely take a footstep without quivering and shivering. The wind was blowing hard enough to affect their visibility, balance, and awareness of their surroundings. Snow and ice had thickened the air, which also fogged it up so much that it was difficult for the kids to see more than five feet in front of them. Sadly, they had no compass, and they had no map, but they did have a reason to get back to the cul-de-sac, and Rolf knew the direction from when he left the sewer to get the essentials the previous days.

At lunchtime, the kids ate up all the food Rolf had left in his wagon while standing out in the freezing cold temperatures. Lunch was only partial, as the food supply ran out before the kids would normally finish lunch. Therefore, the kids were still hungry after they finished the food.

By the afternoon, the blizzard was getting even worse, continuing to hammer the kids with snow and ice. The kids' colds only got worse, as they began sneezing and coughing and wheezing more often. Eventually, they had to come to a complete stop out on the road because the blizzard had weakened them from moving any further.

Rolf, who had been in the best health condition of all the kids, was now starting to fall ill himself, coughing and sneezing as the winds blew on him. He extracted one of his Old Country remedies out of his wagon, and applied it to his face. The other kids refused this remedy when offered it by Rolf.

Later into the afternoon, the wagon fell out of Rolf's grasp, blown away and crushed by the strong winds and ice flying through the air. Fortunately, there was almost nothing left in the wagon, having been used by the kids. However, the portable battery-powered heater was on this wagon, and was lost.

As the kids struggled through the snow and ice, Kevin eased out a question. "H-h-how m-much l-l-longer, Rolf?" He yelled desperately into the wind.

"Short amount of time, Kevin Boy." Rolf responded, sniffling his nose. "We have reached the cul-de-sac now, Rolf thinks."

Indeed, they had arrived at the beginning of the cul-de-sac, and were facing their homes. The clouds seemed to disperse for a moment, revealing just a little bit of sun, but then covered the sky up again. These few seconds with sunlight gave the kids a small opportunity to see their surroundings, and realize that they were close to their homes.

The kids were still shivering, but the sight of their residences made them want to run as fast and quickly as they could. They plowed their way through the snow and ice, splitting up to go to each of their individual homes.

Dinnertime arrived shortly and the kids were digging and sawing their way through the layer of ice and snow so they could reach their front doors. The sky was getting darker by the moment, as the blizzard continued to hammer down on the earth.

Rolf stood outside his home and plopped himself down in the snow. The stress of living through the blizzard in the sewers and getting food, water, and clothing for the kids had ended. It was the evening of Christmas Eve, and what a wonderful gift it was for all the kids to finally return to their homes after enduring Peach Creek's harshest winter yet down in the sewers.

Ed opened his eyes and jumped out of his bed with a start. Morning was nigh and snow was collecting outside his basement window. Noises could be heard upstairs, as Ed stood in his room with a huge smile. It was Christmas morning!


End file.
